Open House?? More like ROCK the house!

Tomorrow is Open House!! I don't know whether to cheer or to run and hide! So many new babies are about to walk through my door!!!!

 

In the past, I've never been quite sure what to have at Open House. This year, after mercilessly stealing all of the ideas from everyone on my grade level, I'm presenting what I hope will be a fool-proof Open House!

 

1. The Welcome Chart: This tells parents what to do once they come in. Especially useful if I'm talking with another family.

 

2. The Sign-In Sheet: I'm almost embarrassed to put this picture on here because my sign in sheets are not cute-cutesy. BUT they are effective. They tell me what I need to know, like the all important question: How is your child getting home?!?!

 

3. Information Packet: Does anyone else have a lot of paper work that goes home at the beginning of the year? Anyone?? Everyone?? Well, I put all of that info into a very high-tech, folded-in-half piece of construction paper with the student's name on the front. Parents will take their child's folder home, leaving me the folders of the students that didn't come to Open House. I easily know who didn't get their folder and can send it home on the first day.

 

4. Scavenger Hunt: This is my new thing I'm trying out this year. I like the idea because sometimes parents come in while I'm talking to someone else. This will give them something to do while they wait. We'll see how it goes!

 

Here are a couple of scavenger hunt freebies I found on TPT:

Click Here

 

Click Here

5. Classroom Wish List: I taught for 7 years before I was introduced to this concept! I put things that I want on post-its, the parents take the post-it, the parents buy we what I want. It's like Christmas in August!

6. Supply Table: I've always found it useful to show parents what supplies I want them to buy. So that's what this table is for.

 

7. Supply Baskets: This is for those go-getter parents who have already bought supplies and bring them to Open House. They can help me sort the supplies by putting them in the correct bucket. I'll keep this for the first day of school, too.

 

So we'll see how things go tomorrow. I can't wait to meet my 19+ new kindergartners!